Method of stacking vines



June 18, 1929. o. J. McNAUGH'roN METHOD OF STACKING VINES V med my 1s, 192e /NVEA/TR OR//v MFA/AuqHroN /Z A rToR/VEY Patented June 18, 19729.

UNITED STATES AGRIN J. MCNAUGHTON, OF MULLIKEN, MICHIGAN.

METHOD F STACKING VINES.

Application filed July 13,

This invention relates to a method of stacking vines such as bean, pea, or peanut vines and the like.

'T he main objects oi' this invention are to provide an improved method of stacking vines so that they may properly cure in practically any kind of weather' with a minimum of handling; to provide a method which will permit the vines to be piled in stacks as soon as matured and thereby lallow other crops to be planted in the same iield; to provide a method of stacking vines of this character which will give the maximum of protection against rain and inclement weather; and toy provide a method which will keep the vines from contacting with the ground and thereby preventing moulding or rotting.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which: y

Fig. l is a view in medial vertical section of a newly made stack of vines piled according to my improved method.

Fig. 2 is a view ofthe same after the stack has stood over night and the vines settled.

At the present time the usual method of harvesting beans, peas and the like is very unsatisfactory and often times an otherwise good and proitable crop is either entirely lost or so damaged as to detract very materially from the profitable raising of the same. Vhen the crop has matured, the vines are ordinarily raked into wind-rows and very often at about the time the windrows of vines are to be gathered up for threshing, a rain will occur and wet down the vines so that they have to be turned over and scattered out with pitchforks to again'dry. Sometimes this has to be gone through two or three times before the crop can be brought in and threshed. Such procedure is very costly not only in labor ot handling and turning over of the vines, but also in the loss of the beans which occurs by reason of such handling.

Furthermore with the crop raked into wind-rows the fields cannot be plowed and utilized for the re-planting of another crop until the vines have been cured and removed from the iield for threshing.

By using my improved method as soon as the crop is matured, the vin-es are raked into wind-rows and then piled about a supporting post in a particular shape and form of stack. The stack is oi such character as to aiford the maximum ot protection against inclement weather, and the vines remain in 1928. serial No. 292,374;

such stack until cured and ready for threshing. The iields are thereby available for the planting of another crop immediately upon the gathering of the vines and no additional handling of the stacksis necessary or required until the same are to be threshed. f

At any convenient time after the vines have been cured while in the stacks, the supporting post is withdrawn upwardly through the stack of vines thereby permitting them tobe readily loaded on to a'wagon a orktul ata time and taken inr'for threshing.

My improved method of stacking the vines is shown in the accompanying drawings in which A supporting post 1 `of the type shown in my copending application executed and'liled by me' of even datefherewith is driven yinto the ground. few 'forkfuls of straw 2 are then placed around thepost l on the ground to a thickness of preferably four to six inches. This layer of strawpQ is tokeepthe vines from contacting with the ground and therebyv drawing' dampness and moulding orrotting. Vines 3 are then `placed or f piled around the post l, the stack formed thereby either being' substantially straight. sided or flaring out and increasing in diameter'to- Wardthe top ot the stack. These vines 3 are piled up in this manner until the stack is of substantially the same height as the top end of i the supportingr post 1.

A few large l.orkfms of vines are then f placed on the top of the stack and post to form a cap 4t which is preferably of slightly greater diameter than the top end of the stack of vines.

As is well known a stack of such vines will settle down over night and I have found that on the ordinary stack which is aroundfour and one-half to iive teet high, the settling ot' the vines 3 will be around six or eight inches. As this settling occurs, the center ot the cap 4 is engaged and supported by the top end of the post 1 so as to leave an opening or space 5 thereunder. being supported on the post, it will incline or droop downwardly in all directions from such center and will provide a very efiicient protection or cover for the top end of the stack. I have found by actual trialrthat even two or three bucketfuls of water thrown on the stack will not penetrate the cap 4' and wet the main portion 3 of the stack.

During a rain the top of the cap and the outer edges only of the stack become wet and The center of the cap by reason of the method in which thev stack made, such rain will dry oi in a very short time and the vines may remain in such stack until` thoroughly cured' 'and ready to be threshed.

When it is desired to remove the staclrs for l threshing, the cap 4 is first removed, thereby exposing the upper end of the supportingy post l. 'Ihis end of the post is then grasped by thehands and loosened inthe ground and Y then withdrawn upwardly through the tangled vines 3. Vines 3 may then be removed in suitable forkfuls from the stack without difficulty.

dling the vines has been hereinshown and described, it will be y.understood that details of this method may be altered or yomitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims. y

I claims-f l.Y A method ot stacking vines which oom-- vines about such supporting post to a height substantially'the same as the top end of said post said stack being of the same or greater diameterat the top thereof than at the bottom thereof, and then placing a cap of vines over the top of said stacky and postwhereby when said stack of vines settles said eapwill be supported at its center by said post.

3. A method of stacking vines which com- Although but one specific method of han-` ground in an upright position, providing means around said post for keeping the vines from 'contact with the ground, piling the vines about such supporting post to a height substantially the same as the top end of said post and then placing a cap of vines over the top of said stack and post whereby when said stack of vines settles said cap will be supported at its center by said` post. Y

4. A method of stacking vineswhich comprises the placing of a supporting post in the ground in an upright position, providing means around said post for keeping the vines from Contact with the ground, piling the vines about such supporting post to aV height substantially the samevas the top end of said post said stack being of the same or greater diameter at the top thereof than at the ybottom thereof, and then placingfa cap of vines overthe top ofsaid stack and post whereby when said stack of Vines settles said cap will be supported at its center by said post.

5. A method of stacking vines which comprises t-he placing of a supporting post in the ground in an upright position, placing a layer or" straw on the ground around said post, pilving the vines on said straw around said supporting post to a height substantially the saine as the top end of said post, said stack being of substantially the same or greater di-yV ameter at the top thereof than at the bottom thereof and then placing acap of vines over the top of said post and stack whereby when said stack of vines settles said cap will be supportedbyk saidpost, said cap being of greater diameter than the top of said stack.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 11th day of July, 1928.

oRiN J. MCNAUGHTON. 

